by Elsie Davis
She recognized a few familiar faces as she scanned the crowd. Christina, the Lattimore’s, the Bradley’s, and even Bertha Hopkins. Gemma recognized so many people after being in Hallbrook only a short amount of time. It would seem the whole town had shown up and the place continued to fill with more and more people.
A couple of times she spotted Kyle and Tom, and of course, in his little-boy excitement, Kyle made sure to tell her everything he did. He was the perfect age for the bouncy-play equipment, and poor Tom had been camped out there most of the morning, as were many of the parents. She would’ve enjoyed spending more time with them, but her job was never done. It was up to her to make sure the day ran smooth, and that meant keeping a close eye on everything.
Gemma spotted Mrs. Jenkins. She was unsure whether to say hi or bolt but chose to stand her ground. The librarian had been nothing but kind to her, and she owed her the same courtesy.
The older woman walked toward her, waving her hand. “I thought I recognized you.”
“Yes, Jake and I stopped by to visit the other day, Mrs. Jenkins. You let us hang up flyers for the fundraiser.”
“No, no. I thought I recognized you the other day. I’m old, and sometimes my memory fails me, but not long after you left, I realized who you were. Gemma Sanders.”
Gemma glanced around, hoping no one else heard the proclamation. “Yes, I was, once upon a time.”
“And you never returned a book if I’m not mistaken.” There was a twinkle in the old woman’s eyes, but Gemma failed to understand her merriment.
“I did explain to you, someone took it. I swear I didn’t lose it.” Gemma felt like she was ten again, trying to explain her innocence.
“I know.”
She couldn’t have heard her right. “You do?”
“Yes, and if you’d come by and talked to me like I told you, I’d have told you then. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you all those years ago.”
The last thing Gemma ever expected was an apology. “But what changed your mind?”
“Irrefutable proof. Jenny Thompson’s mother brought in a box of books years and years ago, and the library book was in the box. I remember you said you thought she took it, but I figured you were blaming someone else for your negligence.”
“Thank you for telling me. It’s bothered me ever since it happened.”
“You can check out a book from the library anytime you want, Miss Sanders.”
“It’s Watson now, and I would prefer it if you kept the Sanders part between you and me. Chad’s not a fan of being part of the rumor mill around town.”
“No worries. Your secret’s safe with me. You tell your momma hi for me. It’d sure be sweet to see her again.”
“I will. And thanks for the pies you contributed to the fundraiser. Everyone here has been so helpful.”
“Small towns are like that. You put up with a little nosy for a lotta love. Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Mrs. Jenkins patted her on the arm and walked away.
Gemma had to agree with the old woman, Hallbrook had a lot of love to give. And being part of a community was something she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Too long.
She spotted Katie off in the distance and headed her way, determined to talk to her friend. “Having fun?”
Katie was wreathed in smiles as she turned to answer. “I am. Look at this.” She held out a stuffed teddy bear. “Troy won this and gave it to me. I was standing close by, and he handed it to me. A bit of an awkward moment, but he told me to keep it for my son. I’d like to think there’s more to it. He’s so dreamy. What do you think?”
“I think you’re probably right. Why don’t you ask him? Women don’t have to wait around for men to get the nerve first.”
“Oh, I don’t know if I could do that. Who wants a ready-made family?”
Gemma was open to the idea, her thoughts turning to Kyle. “Maybe Troy. Won’t know if you don’t ask. Just saying.” Gemma shrugged, sending her friend one of the secret-you-can-do-it smiles.
“We’ll see. But for now, I have this teddy bear. Zander has plenty of stuffed animals. I think I’ll be keeping this one for myself.” The flush on Katie’s face was telling, and Gemma was pleased. Katie deserved more happiness in her life after her ex-husband walked out, leaving her with an infant to care for on her own.
“What’s going on over there?” Gemma pointed to a long line of women wrapped around one of the vending trucks. It was almost as long as the line of people to meet Chad.
“I don’t know. Let’s check it out.”
They couldn’t possibly be waiting for a porta-potty. Fifteen of those had been delivered and should be more than enough for the crowd. They were well over the original estimate of five hundred people, but she’d ordered enough to handle double her expectation as a precaution.
“You stay and hang around. Troy might try to talk to you again because he’s looked this way a couple of times. I’ll go check out what’s going on.”
She made her way over to the line and followed it around the truck, realizing it began at the kissing booth. Woman after woman saddled up to Jake and handed him a five-dollar bill in exchange for a kiss. Several of the ladies, it would seem, didn’t know how to count. A one-second kiss was a peck, not a lip lock.
The green-eyed monster invaded her personal space when Betty Boop, with her tight black pants, tight red sweater, and big bosoms, leaned in for a kiss. Her hands wrapped around his neck as she pulled him close, her bright red lips now plastered on Jake’s mouth.
One thousand and one. One thousand and two. One thousand and three.
The women in line cheered her on with loud whoops.
One thousand and four. The men watching started hollering more, more.
One thousand and five. The women started yelling for Betty Boop to move on, so they could have their turn.
Gemma stepped in to put an end to the kiss. After all, she was here to keep everything under control and moving forward to maximize the fundraising. She tapped the woman on the shoulder, driving her hand between them to put just enough pressure to stop the kiss.
“There’s a five-one-one rule. It’s five bucks for one kiss, for one second.” Gemma pointed to the sign.
“I can read. That was a ten-dollar kiss, but his lips can make a woman forget everything, including time,” the woman joked. Glancing at the others in line, she grinned so hard Gemma was surprised the woman’s face didn’t break. “Worth every penny of ten dollars, ladies. Ante up. And remember it’s for a good cause.” The woman waved farewell and left, her laughter floating back to Gemma.
Jake didn’t say a word. He stood there watching her, waiting. The corners of his lips twitched as he fought to contain his grin.
Gemma noticed some of the women fishing more money out of their pockets or purses. The rule was for Jake’s benefit, but if he didn’t care, why should she? This was about raising money. For a man who swore to keep his life private, there was nothing private about his lips now. If Kyle saw him lip-locking with every bimbo in the line, it would be no wonder the child would get confused.
And if all these women got to kiss Dr. Duncan, why shouldn’t she? The idea came out of nowhere, but she latched onto it like a suction cup to a window. Twice he’d almost kissed her. This time she would make it happen.
Gemma pulled out the wad of cash she’d stuffed in her pocket that morning to see how much she had on her. She grabbed a twenty-dollar bill and cut back to the front of the line as the next woman moved away from Jake.
“Sorry ladies, I need to cut in. I’ve got to get back to managing the event, but I didn’t want to miss one of the main attractions if you know what I mean.”
The ladies laughed, and no one stopped her from cutting the line. As she walked toward Jake, the expression on his face captured her full attention. He glanced down at the twenty in her hand, and then back at her, indecision in his gaze.
He looked nervous, which made no sense. She was the one crazy enough to see this thro
ugh.
Jake took her money and shoved it in his pocket. He reached for her and pulled her into his arms. The minute their lips touched; she realized her mistake. This was no ordinary kissing-booth kiss. All indecision was gone and, in its place, a determination to make every second count. Jake tilted her head to the side, claiming her mouth for a kiss that held more meaning than she’d been prepared for. She had no idea if it had been one second, five seconds, or forever.
The last option sounded the best.
“Time’s up!” someone from the crowd hollered.
Jake pulled back and grinned. “Get what you came for?” he teased.
“I did.” He’d had fun at her expense. But two could play his game.
She turned to face the others waiting in line. “That woman was right. Ante up and get your money’s worth, ladies. His kisses are worth every penny.” She forced herself to laugh, even though she didn’t mean a word of it. What she wanted to do was to close the booth down.
Gemma forced herself to walk away without turning back.
“Hey, I’m glad I ran into you,” Tom said, coming to stand next to her. It had been over an hour since she’d last seen them. “Virginia Lee needs me to help carry her baskets and some of the other stuff she purchased to the car. Would you mind watching Kyle for a bit?”
“Sure. I’d love to. Everything’s under control, and it won’t be long before everything starts winding down. It’s been a good day.”
“Yeah, Virginia says so too. We’ve already raised over twenty thousand dollars.”
“Twenty thousand? That’s crazy but so exciting.”
“Not that I should be talking out of turn, but a little birdie also happened to mention Chad dropped off a sizable check as a donation. Your dad’s one of the good guys.”
“So it would seem.”
Tom headed back toward where Virginia stood waiting. Gemma knelt to talk to Kyle. “I’m sure you’ve done about everything here, but what do you want to do next?”
“I’d like one of them fwied dough thingies. Please.” Kyle’s baby blues were irresistible. “Wif ice cream on top. On chocolate.”
“Sure thing. I wouldn’t mind having a couple bites myself.” No fried dough was complete without the famous Peterson ice cream heaped on and chocolate drizzled across to make it ten times messier.
Kyle slid his hand into hers, and they walked over to the vendor together. It didn’t take long to devour the delicious treat, and soon they were back to walking around the carnival grounds. First stop—a return to the bouncy booth. Then back to the slide. And still, there was no sign of Tom.
She began to worry, but at least Kyle was safe with her. And her work for the day was almost done. The kissing booth was closed, which meant Jake might be wandering around looking for Kyle. They were sure to run into him somewhere; the place wasn’t that big.
Kyle tugged on her arm. “Miss Gemma?”
“What is it, honey?”
“I love you.” His soft voice melted her heart into a puddle. She knelt to give Kyle a hug.
“I love you too.”
“Will you be my mommy?” No greater compliment could ever be uttered, and Kyle’s request brought tears to her eyes. Any barriers still intact around her heart fell away.
“There you two are. Once I started carrying Virginia’s stuff to the car, it seemed as if everyone needed a hand. You two doing okay?” Tom’s gaze shot back and forth between them.
His interruption saved her from having to answer. She looked away, determined to dry her watery eyes before they spilled over.
Chapter Fifteen
Exhausted after a full day, emotionally and physically, Gemma returned to Chad’s place. He’d left earlier to come home and take a hot shower after having been dunked quite a few times in the cold waters of the tank. When she arrived at the house, she didn’t see his truck parked in the driveway.
Brody was excited to see her after being left alone all day. Several doggie kisses later, she let him out for a run. Gemma spotted a note on the kitchen table.
Gone out to eat with some of the guys. See you later tonight. Excellent job on the fundraiser.
When she was younger, she longed to hear words of high praise from her dad, and now each time it happened, there was no mistaking the sudden rush of a feel-good moment. But this time, it was quickly replaced something more pressing that weighed upon her heart.
Will you be my mommy? Kyle’s words had taken her breath away. More powerful than any praise, his words touched her heart, making her wish there was a way to make them come true. And she was pretty sure it wasn’t just for Kyle’s sake.
She hadn’t fully understood until now why Jake had gone to such great lengths to protect Kyle. Her lack of experience with kids hadn’t prepared her to understand the difference between friendship and what, in a child’s eyes, would be perceived as a deeper connection.
She’d been saved from answering him, but it didn’t make the question go away. And it was all her fault. She’d told him she loved him. It was the truth, but Kyle wouldn’t understand when she left Sunday. Maybe if she could give him something to remember her by, when she wasn’t around, it would help. Just a little something to ease the emptiness he might feel. At least until Jake met someone who would slip inside his heart and defy his protective logic.
An idea came to her. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and even though she couldn’t draw worth beans, it would still be Kyle’s to keep. And a child wouldn’t judge her lack of artistic ability.
After letting Brody in the house, Gemma headed down the hall, but instead of turning left to go into her room, she turned right to enter Chad’s office.
Kyle had paid her the greatest compliment a child could give, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be his mother. To have a family of her own.
Chad had told her there was no place off-limits, so this time she had no qualms about entering his personal space. She searched for any kind of colored markers she could use to draw a picture. Her gaze landed on a crayon picture drawn by a child hanging on the wall next to his desk. It was signed by Kyle, or at least she figured it was Kyle, based on the large, uneven and often incomplete letters.
Gemma chuckled; the mostly stick horse with an oversized belly and square head, was adorable. Chad on a horse?
Three drawers down Gemma found the markers, but better yet, a pack of crayons. It made sense he would keep them here for Kyle for when he and Jake visited. She searched for a pack of paper or something to draw on but came up empty-handed. She glanced around the room and spotted a printer in the corner. Gemma grabbed a few sheets from the print tray, but when she bent over, the bottom of the crayon box popped open and a handful of the crayons slid out.
She bent down to retrieve them, her gaze landing on a photo album tucked away on the bottom shelf of the end table next to another one of Chad’s recliners. The picture on the front captured her attention. It was another photo of her.
Her first day of kindergarten. Her mother had taken a million pictures, and Gemma would never forget the dress. It had been one of her favorites as a child. Pink and frilly with puffed sleeves. The pink tights and pink sequined shoes had left her feeling like a princess. Her hair had been parted into two ponytails pulled high on top of her head, with ringlets cascading down, and two pink bows tied around them.
Gemma couldn’t breathe. It’d been hard enough to realize he had a couple pictures and to wonder how he got them, but this, this was a whole album. Her heart raced, the room spinning round and round.
She pulled the album out, almost afraid of what she would see, but determined to know the truth. Sitting back down on the floor, she cradled the album on her lap and turned the cover. Page after page confirmed her suspicions.
Hundreds of pictures. All of her.
Gemma’s hands shook as she flipped back to page one and systematically flipped through each page again. Some were more familiar events than others. Some pictures, quite a
lot, in fact, included her mother. Which ruled out her mother taking the pictures and sending them to him. It was almost as if he’d been there at every major event of her life. She searched the room for clues, anything to help her understand Chad. A camera sat on the top level of the bookshelf. An impressive piece of equipment with an impressive telephoto lens sitting next to it.
She flipped back through the pictures, a suspicion taking hold. The pictures stopped three years ago, and every picture before that was in a public setting. Softball games. Kindergarten graduation. Field day at the science center. The pictures ranged from Glen Haven to Syracuse. From when she was five until she graduated from college when she was twenty-one.
It still didn’t make any sense. Gemma was sick to her stomach. If what she thought was true, the reality was worse than the heartache of never knowing her dad. She remembered the many nights she’d cried herself to sleep wishing her father had loved her enough to stay. But this? This was evidence he’d been there all along, he just never wanted to meet her.
The sound of the front door closing caught her attention. She drew in a breath and closed her eyes, trying to reign in her emotional rollercoaster.
“Gemma?” Chad called out.
She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t move.
His cowboy boots echoed against the hardwood floor as he came down the hall, stopping outside the office door.
She opened her eyes to find him staring at her like a deer caught in the headlights.
“I can explain.” His words came out in a strangled, hesitant tone. Guilty.
“Who took these?” she demanded. Gemma wouldn’t settle for anything but the truth.
Chad gripped the doorway, his knuckles white, his other hand running through his hair and to the back of his neck. “I did.”
“How?” Gemma was having a hard enough time wrapping her brain around all this new information without having to speak complete sentences.
“Whenever you had an event I could attend, I would fly back here or to Syracuse for a chance to see you. Be a part of your life in the only way I knew how.”